The Great Pyramid of Giza was the world's tallest building from c. 2570 BC to c. 1300 AD. Today it is one of Egypt's largest tourist attractions.

Tourism is a major foreign exchange earner in Egypt, with 9,990,000 foreign tourist arrivals in 2007.

History

Tourism figures in Egypt grew by 20%in 2007 with roughly 10 million tourist arrivals according to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO). The Egyptian government plans to have 14 million visitors by 2011.¹

Attractions

The greatest tourist attractions in Egypt are the antiquities for which Egypt is known worldwide. Principal attractions include the pyramids and Great Sphinx at Giza, the Abu Simbel temples south of Aswan, the Valley of the Kings, and the The Mosque of Muhammad Ali Pasha in Cairo.²

Tourist information

Passports and visas are required of foreign visitors except natives of several Middle Eastern countries. Transit voyagers, however, that travel by ship or plane are not required to obtain visas. Travellers native to most of Africa must have proof of cholera and yellow fever vaccination.²

Statistics

Income from tourism (1982–2003)

In 2000, there were 5,506,179 foreign tourist arrivals, with over 3,800,000 from Europe, and receipts totaled more than $4.3 billion. In that year there were 113,611 rooms in hotels and 227,222 beds with a 73% occupancy rate. In 2002, the US government estimated the average daily cost of staying in Cairo to be about about $167, around the same as other major cities in Egypt.²

References

v • d • e Economy of Egypt Currency: Egyptian pound Communications Banking  · Communications  · History of Trade  · Transportation Industries: Agriculture  · Tourism